Many years ago, following a miscarriage that went from bad to worse, it was discovered that some of the tissue had been retained. I had developed an infection and was bleeding heavily. Fortunately, after getting the run around from other doctors, I finally got a kindly old OBGYN to take pity on me and see me. (My doc was out of town.) I was admitted to the hospital that evening, cleaned out, and sent on my way a few hours later, feeling much better.
However, I had lost a lot of blood. Fortunately, it wasn’t enough to warrant a transfusion. It did mean that I had become anemic. It’s a condition that is common enough right now with all our advanced medical care and nutrition. It will become a lot more common in a collapsed society. The several different causes for anemia necessitate different approaches to treatment.
A previous post on iron deficiency anemia addressed many of the causes, symptoms, and treatment. This post will delve more into identification and management of the more common causes of anemia.
ANEMIA RISK BY AGE
- Infants. Anemia is not often found in infants who are breast-fed, but it can happen. Symptoms of anemia in infants include being increasingly tired, pale, underweight, and listless. Iron-rich formula or iron-containing vitamin drops can remedy the situation. [i]
- Toddlers and elementary school aged children. Anemia is rare in this group, except among vegetarians, especially those children who avoid eating iron-rich leafy green vegetables. [ii]
- Teenagers and young adults. Anemia is quite rare in young men. In menstruating young women, it’s not uncommon. In addition to dietary and nutritional supplements (discussed below), ibuprofen or naproxen may help. Not only do they relieve pain from cramps, they also help slow the flow in girls who bleed heavily. [iii]
- Middle-aged and elderly. Gastrointestinal blood loss is the most common cause for anemia in this group. It can arise due to medications, usually aspirin or ibuprofen, polyps, hemorrhoids, diverticulitis, or cancer. If you can see the blood, testing isn’t necessary. In this age group, if a person is pale, tired, and easily fatigued, and anemia is suspected, a hemoccult test (checking for blood in the stool) is easily performed. The tests currently run about $10 each on Amazon and may also be available in your local pharmacy.[iv]
If there is no blood in the stool but anemia is still suspected, conducting a rudimentary blood count (hematocrit) is simple and inexpensive. You just need the right tools on hand. Here’s how:
DIY HEMATOCRIT TEST
Supplies: Lancets and capillary tubes, both available on Amazon for just a few dollars. If you know any diabetics, they’ll have a generous supply of lancets on hand.
Procedure. Prick the tip of a finger with a lancet. Squeeze the pricked finger from the base to the tip to squeeze out some blood. Place the end of the capillary tube in the drop of blood to get as much blood into the tube as possible. Set the tube upright and wait about an hour.
Measuring the hematocrit. As Dr. Koelker states in her book, Armageddon Medicine, “In a column of blood, the cells will sink to the bottom, leaving yellow-tinged serum at the top. Measure the height of the cells, and divide this by the total height of the fluid column.” [v]
In men, cells should comprise about 40% of the blood, in women about 35%. Most individuals do not feel unwell until the hematocrit drops below 30%.
Keep in mind that there are also complete DIY hematocrit tests available. They’re more expensive and they aren’t any more accurate. It’s cheaper to get 100 each of the lancets and capillary tubes. And you’ll be able to test more frequently, should the need arise.
RISK FACTORS FOR ANEMIA
- Diet
- Inability to absorb vitamins and iron, especially in the elderly and those using acid-blocking or acid-reducing medications
- Malnutrition, especially in children
- Disease
- Hookworm
- Malaria
- Sickle cell anemia
- Excessive bleeding
- Childbirth
- Large wounds
- Heavy menstrual periods
- Pregnancy
- Gastrointestinal issues
- Bleeding ulcers
- Chronic diarrhea
- Dysentery
- Large wounds
Signs and symptoms
- Mild to moderate anemia
- Cold hands and feet
- Fatigue
- Pale or transparent skin
- Pale inner
eyelids and gums
- Pica (chewing on non-food items such as ice, hair, grass, dirt, pebbles, sand)White fingernails
- Severe
anemia
- Swollen face and feet
- Rapid heartbeat
- Shortness of breath
- Chest pain
TREATMENT
Of course, the treatment depends on the cause of the anemia. A poor diet must be corrected, and if the anemia is severe or if the patient is pregnant, supplements may be required as well. Disease and injury must be managed.
Gastrointestinal bleeding. Blood loss must be stopped. If the patient is taking any blood thinners (warfarin, aspirin, ibuprofen, naproxen, prescription NSAIDs, etc.) these must be stopped immediately. If there is the possibility of a bleeding ulcer, it should be treated immediately with acid-reducing agents. Without advanced medical care, physicians would treat colitis with prednisone, 10-40 mg per day, using the lowest effective dose for the shortest possible time. Antibiotics may be effective for diverticulitis. (See post on diverticulitis.)
In the elderly, all of the above reasons for bleeding are possible. According to Dr. Koelker, an elderly individual who appears critically ill and has rectal bleeding may not survive. On the other hand, if the issue is chronic anemia, as often occurs with chronic conditions unrelated to blood loss such as kidney failure or rheumatoid arthritis, no special treatment will be needed. Because the decline in the hematocrit is so gradual, the body is able to accommodate.
Neurological component to anemia. If there are mental changes or tingling of the toes or fingertips, deficiencies of vitamin B12 or folate should be considered. Testing for either of these conditions is unlikely to be available. Both vitamins should be given, though meeting these needs through the diet is preferable. Unfortunately, some older individuals will not be able to absorb enough B12 through diet alone. According to Dr. Koelker, high oral doses of B12 may work, but stockpiling that much B12 for a long-term situation may be difficult.
Dietary sources of iron
- Red meat, fish, chicken, liver
- Dark green leafy vegetables—beans, peas, lentils
- Cheese, eggs
- Dried fruits, especially prunes, raisins, apricots[vi]
- Blackstrap molasses—it’s a better source of iron than red meat.
Eat raw vegetables and fruits with the above—the vitamin C content helps the body absorb iron.
Iron supplements are a good idea, especially for pregnant women and those with heavy periods. Women with anemia are at greater risk for miscarriage and excessive bleeding in childbirth.[vii] Iron supplements come in the following forms:
- Elemental iron, 65 mg, 3 times per day
- Ferrous sulfate or ferrous gluconate, 325 mg, 3 times per day[viii]
Avoid consuming caffeine or caffeinated beverages within two hours of taking any iron supplement as caffeine will prevent absorption of the iron.
Herbs that are high in iron:
Links to related posts:
The Medicinal Uses of Brigham Tea
The Medicinal Uses of Dandelion
[i] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 324.
[ii] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 324.
[iii] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 324.
[iv] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 324.
[v] Cynthia Koelker, Armageddon Medicine, 2012, 324.
[vi] Joseph Alton, Anemia, DoomandBloom.net, 5 January 2021, https://www.doomandbloom.net/anemia/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+drBonesAndNurseAmysdoomAndBloomtmShow+%28.........DR+BONES+and+NURSE+AMY%27S+..........Doom+and+Bloom%28tm%29+Show%29 (accessed 10 June 2021).
[vii] David Werner, Where There Is No Doctor, 1992, 124.
[viii] Joseph Alton, Anemia, DoomandBloom.net, 5 January 2021, https://www.doomandbloom.net/anemia/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+drBonesAndNurseAmysdoomAndBloomtmShow+%28.........DR+BONES+and+NURSE+AMY%27S+..........Doom+and+Bloom%28tm%29+Show%29 (accessed 10 June 2021)..
[ix] Steven Foster, et al., Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 257.
[x] Steven Foster, et al., Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 58.
[xi] Steven Foster, et al., Medicinal Plants and Herbs, 2002, 145.
11 july 2023
That is very useful, thanks.
ReplyDeleteExile1981